The Passing Of A Patriarch -or- Seismic
At 1 am this morning, Darren Fred lost his father-in-law. Darren is the leader of the Timberline Oldtown/Everyday Joe’s organization. Ray Gowing passed peacefully.
The service for Ray will be on Friday the 30th of April at 2 pm at Timberline Church. Everyday Joe’s will be closed that day from 1 – 4:30 pm so we can go be where we need to be. Thank you for understanding.
For multiple reasons on 1 or 2 levels, the passing of Mr. Gowing rang loudly with me, as did the engagement of two Everyday Joe’s volunteers yesterday. I (Chris) posted thoughts on my personal blog earlier today and they can be read below. These are not being re-posted for proud or selfish reasons…but because Mr. Darren Fred has taught many of us many things and he continues to do so as he leads his family through a time of celebration and tears.
SEISMIC
Four years ago…shortly after I met my friend Darren…I lost my grandfather. It was my first experience with familial death. “Your grandma’s reality has changed,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Darren’s father-in-law was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The anti-rejection medicine he took for his transplanted kidney caused it to turn into a lung infection that his body could not fight. This morning at 1 am, Ray Gowing gave up his ghost. “He went well,” the text message from Darren said.
While Darren was with his family at the hospital yesterday afternoon, two young people I love very much were on the banks of the Poudre River. He was down on one knee, and she was watching a ring slide on to her finger. “She said yes,” the text message said.
Three days ago, I told the young man with the ring still in his pocket that in 48 hours his life would change completely. Earlier that afternoon – as the recovery of Ray Gowing began to look unlikely – I shared with Darren what he shared with me four years ago. I told him I think about it most days. Reality changes bits each day. Some days more than others. “Seismic changes in reality,” he said.
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My good lady Jessica enjoyed a chai. My firstborn Thomson enjoyed a hot chocolate steamed to perfect kid temperature (a task that seems simple but can – for some unknown reason – can be hard to do). I enjoyed a double cappuccino to start, and then moved on to a selection from their drip bar, which uses the Hario V60 pour-over. Sola brewsthe beans roasted by Cartel, which are delcious. Johnna & I had a brief convo concerning the stewardship of the beans we pay for and the expression of service through drinks that are well-made. Her thoughts on the matter translated right into my capp, and Toby’s right into my Hario drip.
